The Echoes of the Flowers
by Gus Calvo-Simmons
Summary: Time flies like the flowers of a petal, they bloom over and over if they can keep themselves alive.
1. Chapter 1: The Lost Tribe

Chapter One

The Lost Tribe

They weren't born from the shadows, a long time ago they were humans, but something happened, and they became different. Some people said that the monsters were humans who were trying to achieve a bigger power than the ones the Gods gave them, and they were punished in the underground…

Asriel was young, one of the first born in the Underground, every time he could he always went to the ruins that lead to the surface, wondering how was life over there? Wondering about the sun and the wind that went below, but also if he could break the barrier, but he knew the monsters like him need a soul, the same essence that humans used to lock them down.

Opposite to his parents, he never knew the surface, he wanted to know the lost tribe of the surface, he wanted to know the sea, to know the sky, he wanted to know what was beyond the Underground, beyond the fake starry night that was above the castle, he wanted to see the sky and be free.

Someone was falling, someone was falling from the surface.

"Who are you?"

"I am Chara, where I am?"

"You fall into the Underground" Asriel replied.

"The Underground?"

"Yes, is where we live, I am Asriel, the son's king, would you like to go home with me?"

"Where's home?"

Those were happy days for Asriel, for Chara and for the Royals, they couldn't believe that they had a family to call their own… Those were happy days…

The flower withered, it was covered in blood and a sad smile on is face, the memories created a divergence in the timeline, the oldest skeleton became a witness, he became imbued with some leftover power of the mystical flower… This is where the story begins.

Toriel was walking on the Underground, it was an endless cycle at that moment in the ruins, it wasn't as lively as many centuries before, she was living in seclusion to avoid any more human sacrifices after loosing her two children to the tribe of the surface and her husband reaping the corpse and soul of Chara, she swore herself to protect the only gates to avoid any more sacrifices… she was scared that her ex-husband committing the ultimate taboo and sacrificing more humans to break the barrier.

She heard a scream, coming from the flower field, she ran as fast as she could, and she placed a containing spell on the gates that connected the rest of the Underground. She knows she wouldn't be able to contain the wicked flower, but she started to run as fast as she could.

"Howdy!"

"Howdy, who are you?"

"I am Flowey the Flower, who are you?"

"They call me Frisk…"

"You remember me someone from a long time ago, do you know anything about LOVE or EXP?"

"No…"

"Perfect, because in this world is to kill or to be killed" Exclaimed flower throwing an evil laugh and cornering Frisk with his bullet pallets."

"What the hell is this?!"

"This is LOVE!, who is there?! No!"

Toriel ran against Flowey knocking him out of the Ruins and teleporting him to the other side of the gates.

"My child I am glad you are OK, follow me, let's go to a safe place, let's go home"

"Home?"

"Yes"

Asriel was playing in the flower field, he always went in the afternoon as he enjoyed a lot taking the little sun that he could get. Chara wasn't that far away from him, they were bringing butterscotch cupcakes to eat on the ruins.

"What are you thinking Chara?"

"To escape…"


	2. Chapter 2: Anticipation

Chapter Two

Anticipation

It smelled as of despair, as if people died there, but the blood was also from animals, from monsters, Frisk was scared, they didn't knew anything about the Underground, they only knew something was calling them to go, to go and walk into the Mount Ebott, it was almost as something compulsory but they couldn't explain why… then they fall and woke up in the bed of yellow flowers.

It was as descending into hell, a hell they couldn't imagined it was on Earth, but it was a place that seemed to exist out of time, it was an odd place that shouldn't even exist, but it was there. The bricks on the ruins seemed old, they were wondering how long were they? Probably a millennium, but even so, they knew the place was familiar it was almost as home… what was home?

"Did the flower hurt you?" Said Toriel to them.

"No, I am just scared"

"I feel I know, I know you from another time, when I heard your screams I rushed as fast as I could as if my own child was needing me and I found you"

"Thank you.."

"Let's go home"

The Underground was completely desolated apart from a few monsters that stayed behind with Toriel, but there was an environment of loneliness. They reached a series of stairs and continue walking, there were some frogs in which Frisk ask Toriel if they had a name? She replied Froggits. Frisk was curious as they never saw something like those, they wanted to touch the Froggits but Toriel ask them to stop as the little animals where peaceful beings.

"It feels familiar" They thought, as if it wasn't the first time they were there. The senses, the environment, it was almost as home, as if they knew where to walk, where to go, who to talk… except they were feeling at peace, as if it was the place they belong.

As they continued walking, Toriel stop and ask Frisk to show her how they would treat a dummy that was sitting in the Ruins. It was a strange task, but they did accept without any issues.

"You can talk to the Dummy; he won't be bothered by anything you say"

"OK" They approached slowly, and whispered to the Dummy, Toriel tried to hear but she was a little bit far away waiting for Frisk"

"I am sorry…" They walked away and smile to Toriel.

"You did good my child"

Asgore was imponent, one of the tallest monsters in the tunnels, he was their king, their buck, the god of the spear and he was a nightmare. He was there, in his lab on the other side of the Underground, where the barrier kept them in check from being in contact with the humans. He was lamenting the death of his children, Alphys the newly appointed royal scientist wasn't far behind.

Toriel was remembering those days where Asgore wanted to break free, but suddenly for almost 20 years no more humans fell on the Underground, she wanted to place some test on Frisk to know if they were kindhearted but also to see their behavior more openly without her interfering. So she gave Frisk a very outdated cellphone with her phone number, she apologized and went back to her house.

She knew there was only one road that would leave the exit, in case the human decides to go and fight Asgore, she prayed Frisk won't do anything stupid.

Frisk started to walk, around the Underground Ruin's, they were deserted, there was some desolation around them… it was a sensation of sadness that was in the environment, as if better times were there. They were wondering if the flower would appear again. They didn't know. The Ruins extended far beyond the small tunnels; it was a small citadel with a palace on the horizon. They wanted to explore but they knew there wasn't anything there.

While they were walking, Frisk found a small bake sell run by spiders, it was strange, as they never saw one ran by actual spiders.

"Who are you?" Said the tiny little black widow.

"I am Frisk, you?"

"I have no name, I am here on behalf Muffet, she is trying to rise funds for the spiders on the ruins, all profits will go to real spiders"

Frisk was starving, as they didn't eat anything before leaving to explore the mountain. They had some extra cash they got from their mother in case they need it to call a vehicle for transportation, probably it wasn't a bad idea as they were wondering if the human's money would work in the underground.

"That doughnut looks amazing, how much it is?"

"18 pieces of Gold"

"Here!" They screamed as loud as they could, and bought two of them, only to save one for later"

The spiders were happy and Frisk was full, they started to walk again, only to receive a brief message from Toriel asking if they were having difficulties around or getting in trouble? Frisk replied no, that they were meeting the monsters around. Toriel said that her house wasn't far away from the room with the spiders, only one room to the right where they came and then up.

Frisk closed the phone and kept walking, they knew they were being followed, it wasn't the same presence of the flower, but it was something else, there was sadness around that individual and that individual couldn't even hide it.

"Who is there?!" Frisk screamed out loud.

"Don't hurt me, I am below you" The somber voice replied.

They weren't expecting that, it was a ghost, a real ghost that was luring on their shadow, and was matching it perfectly.

"I am Napstablook nice to meet you"

"I am Frisk, why are you crying?"

"I am not feeling well today". As soon Napstablook said those words the area around them changed a little bit, suddenly Frisk realized the ghost was blocking their way, Napsta exposed the concept of fighting in the Underground and it was quite creepy itself, as they were surrounded by a red light that was coming from their chest and the ghost was controlling the environment around them.

"That's your SOUL, we monster's we don't have it, some of them do but artificially, a SOUL can kill us in a permanent way"

Frisk was confused.

Asriel was with Chara, the two of them were climbing the entrance of the ruins, where the flowers bed was on the bottom, the same entrance on Mount Ebott. They knew the surface could be the point for them to go and see the sun and Chara to esape.


	3. Chapter 3: The Sound of the Heart

Chapter Three

The Sound of the Heart

Alphys was sitting on the operating table, into what it was the offices and laboratory of her predecessor Gaster, who faded into oblivion after stepping into room 264. Asgore was sitting next to the lifeless body of Asriel, crying, while Toriel was in panic because she lost two children that day, and subsequently she would run away from her husband.

Alphys couldn't do too much, she synthesized determination as monsters didn't had it or it wasn't fully natural in them like souls, but to her surprise she found the soul of Chara albeit their body was beyond salvation. Asgore promised Toriel they will have a funeral but what he didn't told it was that Chara's soul would be taken away to other location to fulfill the prophecy of liberation.

Asgore was holding their soul, while Alphys was trying to save Asriel but the efforts where futile as his body turned into dust. Toriel was devastated and went back to their empty house, where she locked in their children bedroom for a year before actually coming out. Asgore went with Alphys to the flower garden and they spread Asriel ashes around the flowers, they walked out saddened by the event as the young prince and his sibling were dead because of the humans.

Frisk was curious as they never saw a ghost, but they were wondering why the ghost was sad, Napstablook explained that they had no friends and their cousins were no where to be seen.

"You shouldn't feel bad, you seem quite nice" Said Frisk.

"I am alone, can you be friend?"

"Of course, you seem cool, what kind of music do you like?"

"Friend?!" Said Napstablook before fading out and clearing the path to Frisk "We'll see each other soon, on the other side"

"I guess I made a friend and I haven't been here for more than an hour" Frisk thought.

Toriel house was pretty comfy, looked like their own home in the surface but it feel as if they were there before, the real deal as if they were called to the Underground to meet with the family they always wanted. The house was pretty basic, one story three bedrooms in which one of them was closed and impossible to open, Toriel mentioned to Frisk the room in the middle was they, and the other one was her room.

The living room connected to the kitchen, it was filled with books about child education and snails, the kitchen was proper for someone as tall as Toriel who was over 6'4'' and the fridge was full of goodies as if she knew someone was coming to visit, albeit their reaction was to think to check any mold around the food and to their surprise the food was fresh, extremely fresh.

Not far away from the Ruins, Sans the skeleton was waking up from a nap, one of the many, one of the thousands, he woke up screaming "someone fall on the Underground" and soon he woke up his brother Papyrus ran to his room screaming the same.

"I know buddy" replied Sans.

"Sans, what is a human?"

"Someone from the surface buddy, you won't even know how one looks like even if is in front of you for the eight time"

"Ah ok, I am going to make some spaghetti and talk to Undyne about joining the royal guard, maybe she will let me if I bring her a human" Papyrus closed the door of Sans room and went back to his room.

"This is going to be bad; this is going to be bad, that means the timeline reset again, it means the influence of Flowey and the determination affected everything, what can we do?... I need food" Sans thought while going to kitchen and feeling disappointment because everything was spaghetti.

Toriel was sitting on her favorite chair reading her favorite book, when Frisk as her "How I can go back to the surface?" Toriel gasped for air, she only replied "Asgore, the King will kill you"


	4. Chapter 4: Bonetrousle

Chapter Four

Bonetrousle

"Sans a human has fallen in the Underground…" "Sans… I did no violence" Papyrus woke up from a nightmare, a really bad nightmare where he dreamt that he was dying, and it hurt.

"Buddy is nothing go bad to bed"

"It feels so real, way too real Sans"

Snowdin was a peaceful town located in the mountains of the Underground, it was a small city of monsters governed by no-one but no one was Sans; there were two brothers who lived there Sans and Papyrus, two skeletons who were also vastly different, the two of them didn't remembered who they ended up in the Underground but they remembered they were related.

The little town was covered in perpetual snow, up to the north there was the river connection who had paths to the Hotlands and the forest that connected to the ruins. Much of the houses where located in the same level, but some of them where north of the main and only road.

It was such a pretty little town, probably one of the few where there was peace around and everyone seemed happy, as within the different generations of monsters they started to forget the world in the surface.

Papyrus went back to sleep, he was tired of training to fight against the humans, which the training was just playing videogames and hanging out with Undyne at her house. The dream came back, it was the same dream over and over, a dream about dead.

"Human, you have no evil in you, why are you doing this?"

"I don't know, is an impulse, is a necessity, to avenge what my heart desires"

"Please stop"

They marched straight against Papyrus, and he automatically made the bullet board appeared, restricting the movements of the human.

"I will stop you; I will try to stop you, you will feel the march of the bones"

"No, you will become dust at the end"

Papyrus called an army of bones, and the rules of his attack were simple, blue don't move if you move you get damage, normal bones you must dodge them. Papyrus didn't stand a chance no matter how hard he tried, he wasn't as powerful as any of the other monsters, but he found ways to keep intruders on check by being creative with his bone graveyard.

They, the human found ways to avoid his attacks, the heart of the human the soul was always calmer and they moved as if they were dancing against the bones, it was a dance macabre, a dance where the human showed that them weren't scared of dancing with the dead.

"I got you!" The human screamed.

"You are still good, you are still good, you are not bad" Said Papyrus while his head was falling, he was dying and hurt, even if he was dreaming it feel more as a memory.

"Sans a human has fallen in the Underground…" He screamed again.


	5. Chapter 5: The Fallen Prince

Chapter Five

The Fallen Prince

Monsters didn't had a soul, OK there were some exceptions to the rule, Sans was one of them and Undyne was placed with determination to simulate the process of being human and that on a long term became a problem as she was extremely aggressive to everyone, and everything. Alphys was obsessed to finish the investigation of Gaster, to understand the process of what a human is and what monster become.

She remembered some of her life in the surface, she remembered some… she remembered the dreams, the sun, she remembered a chubby guy who always bothered her but then everything became a mirage, she couldn't remembered anything besides some fragments she wrote on her journal around 800 years prior.

Gaster lab was becoming a problem because she was using it to contain the Amalgamates and were becoming erratic and dangerous, her experiment with artificial souls was turning into a nightmare but also the boost of determination became a problem, she wanted to resurrect them but also to break the barrier.

She was exhausted, because of Gaster she started to contemplate the possibility of resurrecting dead ones, but it was a mistake, a big problem that could destroy the fabric of the Underground. She did something incredibly stupid, she kept samples of Asriel body and tried to replicate it, to bring it back to life but there was no soul, the vessels where empty.

"What are you doing?" A little screaming voice appeared behind Alphys. She looked in fear, as she never heard someone like that in the Underground at all. To her surprise a small flower appeared on the floor.

"I am Flowey, nice to meet you"

"Where did you came from?"

"I am everywhere, the soil let me walk wherever I want"

"What do you want?"

"My body"

"Your body?"

"One of the many clones, I want them, I want to live!"

"Shit! Asriel, how's that even possible?"

"I don't know, is the determination not to die, not to disappear, Alphys what did you do to me?!"

"I tried to revive you, your parents where distress"

"You shouldn't, now you all will regret it"

As soon he said that Flowey faded, she started to panic but she couldn't tell anyone about it, she was desperate because of the desires of the king, trying to resurrect his children. Her, was a mere servant, but also the successor of the unholy Gaster, the monster who tried so many horrible experiments and paid the ultimate price.

At the end she opted to close the original lab and transfer her research to the newer one, she could hear every now and then the sounds coming from the wall, the ghosts inside her lab, the failed zombies that she brought back to life but had no soul, the monsters that Gaster tried to resurrect but failed badly, she was scared that one day they will go out and kill everything on sight.

"You know it won't work" Said Flowey. "I can't break the wall and release them"

"You won't"

"What if I go and break the walls?"

"You won't, you are terrified of them like the rest of us Asriel, even on your new form you're still fearful of them, of becoming one of them if you go near Gaster's machine"

"…"

"I was right"

"Even so, there are still two Amalgamates running out and you are responsible for one of them"

"I know… I know, I am. Is the reason I fell in love with her, when we were trying to replicate the process of the human soul and determination, I couldn't let her go and become one them, she is strong but… the process turned her extremely volatile"

"You love Undyne even if she became the undying"

"Yes Asriel, I love Undyne, during the experiments I saw her soul and I fall in love with her, it was one of the most precious souls from all the monster world, she had this desire to save everyone, to make the world a better place but also the desire to protect everything she loved… how not to fall in love with that?"

"I don't know, I couldn't care about those feelings since I have no soul, it got shattered with Chara, and now I am a monster with just memories of a previous life!" "What have you done!"

"A big mistake"


	6. Chapter 6: Her Lament

Chapter Six

Her Lament

It was around 3 days after Frisk fall into the Ruins of Mount Ebott, they were curious about the environment and walking around the old city, they could see the tragedies around on why almost everyone left to the inner sections of the Underground and created a new form of utopia. There were books in ancient glyphs that mentioned about the lost tribes of the surface and the monsters, which Toriel helped them with a chart with the approximation of the human language.

They were curious, but much of the books were beyond understanding due the passage of time, much of the city was a big as theirs in the surface, almost as if it lose beyond the eyesight, but always at the end there were the ruins of an old palace, they wanted to check it but it felt weird, it felt wrong to go near.

There was this presence, two of them lingering around them, one was sad and the other was tense, it was difficult to explain the second one but at the same time Frisk knew they was alone with the exception of some of the monsters that staid with Toriel. These two presences where almost dancing but never meeting each other as if they were on a different plane of existence from one another.

Frisk wanted to scream at them but, it was probably they imagination of being trapped in a new environment.

"I feel I've been here before, the more I walk, the more I feel I know this place from another time"

As they keep walking, they found a small newspaper headline that was well preserved, it said "The first human…" Frisk knew they weren't the first one to be there due some of Toriel ambiguous dialogue and how that room they were staying was filled with clothes from another period, but now they were wondering how many other people, humans fell into the Underground.

As they kept walking, they noticed they were truly alone, the flower they met early was no where to be seen, but probably wasn't that far, the desolation was consuming them as the old ruins were different from the entrance where Toriel house was, seemed not many monsters stayed behind and only some didn't left to keep company to the old woman, they were wondering if Napstablook was following but they left the ruins to go somewhere else and the two presence's were too powerful to be the sad ghost.

As there was nothing more too look, they went back to Toriel's, they were tired of walking but also wondering what was beyond the ruins, the world of the monsters. When they came back they took a nap, they didn't mind knowing they would be trapped there for a while but was wondering about the exit, wondering about Asgore as the information to be found was minimal as if Toriel or someone destroy any traces of him.

A long time ago, a human fall in the underground, that human was adopted by the king and queen, Chara was their name. They died a horrible way, a way that let their soul to shape reality itself seeking for a second chance over and over. Frisk was curious as they didn't know if there was a proper way to leave, but that didn't matter to keep finding an answer.

Toriel was sitting on the human's room, looking at the mementos, that was their children room many centuries ago, and yet she still was in grief, she wanted to make things different but she didn't had enough power to rewrite reality in make things better, to avoid everything, she missed her life, she missed those precious moments of happiness before Asgore's obsession took over him.


	7. Chapter 7:Mother

Chapter Seven

Mother

Frisk was walking around the house for clues, on how to escape and see Asgore, to see beyond the Ruins, there was nothing around. The old room where they were staying had some toys from centuries ago and clothes that them never wore, Frisk knew other humans fall but how many? And what happened to them?

Then, they found an old photo, it was a small goat child and what it seemed to be a younger Toriel in the back, the face of the other one was scratched out so Frisk assumed it was Asgore sitting next to them and next to Asgore was a young child who looked like Frisk, but they were different than them, the other child had a green shirt and that color wasn't Frisk's favorite.

"Oh my God, who? Why it looks like me? I need to ask Toriel, no… no… don't say anything, she maybe hid this photo here because it was too painful to even clean or organize this room"

While Toriel was in the kitchen, Frisk went to her room to try to find a lock for the other room that was locked, but there was no luck, no key, no nothing, just some adult toys in her closet and Frisk ran away as quickly as they could. They were concerned as they wanted to see what was beyond the other door, but they opted to go to the kitchen to find Toriel.

She was cooking some butterscotch candy for Frisk, and next to her was a book about snails in the underground with another one about the biology of the echo flowers. Frisk was in blank as there was so much, they could discover around.

"Where is the exit?"

"What are you talking sweeties? I am making a snack for you"

"I need to escape the ruins, I need to see what is beyond"

"Asgore will kill you" She said with a nonchalant smile on her face.

"I will face it, I will face him, I need to, I want to see the Undergound…"

"Go back to your room and take a nap, we have a nice day tomorrow"

"But…"

"You are grounded"

Frisk went back to their room and tried to sleep. Toriel walked to their room a little bit after and left some candy on the counter, Frisk got woken up but pretended to be asleep, as soon Toriel was outside the room, they stood up grabbed the candy and followed her, then the images started to appeared, the same voice from the Ruins was in their head, it wasn't the voice of the flower, but the other presence, the one with anger.

"Remember, human, Frisk, remember"

It wasn't the first time they walked on the path, the same house, the same monsters, it was an endless loop that only death could spear it, but not to everyone only a few, only a few that were destined to die and still they were trapped, trapped for thousands of year repeating the same cycle of grief.

The house looked suddenly lovelier, but existing was heavy, there was silence, nothing from outside of the house could be heard, as if everyone died, it was silence. They were walking as if they didn't had control of them legs, it was a surreal sensation, they reached through the stairs that were in the entrance to what was the basement, they passed the fake wall Toriel created, a wall they wasn't sure it wasn't illusion but it faded as soon they touched.

The corridor was long, it seemed familiar even if they weren't there before; the steps seemed eternal and the smell of murky water was always present. The temperature turned cooler as they approached the bottom of the house, it was as snow was near the basement or something else.

"What are you doing here? I told you to go to your room" Said Toriel, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"I can go wherever I want mother" Said the other voice.

"Mother?" Frisk thought, Toriel wasn't their mother but at least someone who was similar. Then they thought, who said that? Who said "Mother"? They didn't spoke it, it was as the words came out by themselves.

"You cannot leave, you cannot go without you killing me, are you ready to fight child?"

The bullet box appeared, Frisk didn't know the sweet Toriel could generate such a powerful bullet box, the experience turned even more surreal as Frisk couldn't control any action of their motor skills, everything was moving by itself. There was a knife that appeared on their hand out of nowhere, they were thinking "where this thing came from?" They never saw a knife when they were exploring the Underground.

Frisk body started to move with such precision as it if was possessed, went straight to Toriel and tried to stab her. Toriel immediately teleported and threw Frisk with a series of fire waves against the wall of the bullet box. It was a powerful attack in which Frisk couldn't even avoid. After standing up Frisk tried again, except this time they knew the pattern, they knew the direction and apprached Toriel with the intention of killing her.

"I won't let you pass evil child! If you want to open the gate you have to kill me, I am Toriel caretaker of the Ruins!" She screamed in a defiant way.

Frisk was watching everything without understanding, to their horror realized how powerful was Toriel, but at the same time she was concerned about the wellbeing of them, she was motherly towards anyone who look younger. Toriel was getting overwhelmed by the battle and she was getting exhausted, she created two big paws behind her that pushed them against the wall, some blood could feel from their mouth.

She was getting tired, as there was a long time where she had to endure a battle and her body couldn't take it any longer. Frisk stood up again, and started walking against Toriel "I don't want to do this, stop, stop please, is moving by itself" but the body kept moving, then when they were close to Toriel and ready to give the final blow, she generated a powerful fire helix that engulfed Frisk and it was burning their body, Toriel was ready to kill, but the body threw the knife straight to Toriel's head with so much strength that they killed her with one blow.

Frisk found themselves back in the house, in the doorstep of the room that was using, it was a dream, a mere dream but it feel so real as if it was from another time, they were shaking in fear because they couldn't bring themselves to kill anything but rather explore.

"Papyrus, I'll be back, I am heading to the Ruins, I suspect a human is really in the underground" Sans screamed to Papyrus while his brother was taking a shower.

"What Sans!".

"I am heading to the gate of the Ruins; something is happening there" He replied.

"I hope Toriel is OK, otherwise I won't have anyone to tell me jokes or laugh at mine"


	8. Chapter 8: A Dear Friend

Chapter Eight

A Dear Friend

Sans was running as quickly as he could, even teleporting to go as fast from Snowdin to the Ruins gate, his "shortcuts" as he enjoyed calling his teleportation wasn't fast enough to reach and ask Toriel to open the gate for him, he hoped he wasn't late.

For him, Toriel was the first friend he ever made, the two shared a similar scene of humor and multiple times she ask him to protect any humans that fall in to the Undeground, a promise he kept over the course of different timelines, one of the few things he could remember from different time resets and with every reset he befriended Toriel over and over, because he couldn't let his only real friend to die alone, even if he failed multiple times to protect her.

"I won't let you pass, child. Asgore will kill you! I already told you that! Go back to your room" She screamed at Frisk.

"I have to go, please, I need to know what happened to the other humans, how many did fall and die?" They replied almost crying to Toriel, she threw one of her magical paws to Frisk sending them against the wall, but at that moment she didn't activated her bullet box to engage the fight, she just wanted to dissuade the last human to not go outside the Ruins, knowing that they could kill her.

"Staying here is not a life, I understand that you are trying to protect the entrance, but we have curiosity, we have determination to live, please let me go!" Frisk screamed. "Please mom" they were crying.

Sans was from the other side of the gate listening to the altercate between the two, he was wondering what outcome would come this time, even with his power he couldn't open the gate from the other side, so he thought if the worse happens he would kill the human on the spot instead of intercepting them in the golden room near the throne of the new city. He was getting tired of the constant time reset, he was getting tired of everything and avoiding Flowey in such a limited space. He just sat down and decided to wait while watching his phone and looking at the contact information of Toriel.

Papyrus was walking around Snowdin, he wanted to get some cleaning supplies from his endless supplies of socks that he barely used. He then thought about going to the Ruins to ask Sans what scent he wanted for his clothes, when he suddenly hear what he dreamed the night before "a human has fallen into the Underground" he knew the rumor would lead to Asgore quickly, and he had only one chance to join the Royal Guard.

Undyne who was the head of the Royal Guard was passing near Snowdin as she was in the need to ask a favor to Sans for no more spaghetti, but since she saw the culprit who was Papyrus himself.

"Yo! Papyrus what are you doing?!" Undyne screamed at her protegee.

"Going to see bro, and to ask what scent of laundry detergent he would like?"

"Don't, let him alone, I can tell you he probably would like something spring"

"Spring?"

"Something like flowers"

"Ohhhhhh!"

Sans was sitting outside, waiting, he couldn't hear any explosions or anything, he was just thinking on how many times he stood there in the gate entrance waiting to see if Toriel was alive or dead. Toriel inside was thinking about her only real friend and how they used Napstablook service to trade information beyond staying on the door.

She opened to him sometimes, but others when she knew the humans were with her, she kept it close in case the human decided to stay with her. She was sad because she didn't wanted to fight Frisk, she was tired of fighting and trying to protect the humans, she was thinking of her dear friend who always made her laugh with his silly joke, as she couldn't leave the Ruins because she wouldn't be able to open the door from the other side.

"Mom I won't fight you"

"How did you call me?"

"Mom"

"Why?"

"You are the one in this short time who has shown me love, I can't fight you, I want to get out and try to convince Asgore to change his mind"

The bullet box disappeared, Frisk stood up from the floor and walked straight to Toriel, they gave her a hug, and Toriel was in tears. She gave them her spare phone with her number and told them to call her in case of any emergencies. Sans quickly teleported out of sight to let the human walk; he was happy that his only friend was OK.

Frisk saw the ultimate path of the vision they had, their eyes were red as blood and their shadow was different as if they were possessed. The knife was on the floor and they were walking past Toriel's corpse who quickly disintegrated.


	9. Chapter 9: The Forest in the Middle

Chapter Nine

The Forest in the Middle of Nowhere

Sans was watching the human, from the distance, he forgot how many times he has done it and how many times he opted to do something else, he was trying to remember how many times killed the human before they could reach Asgore, probably too many, he wasn't scared of dying, he was scare of the pain before time reset, having to watch his family and friends die over and over was a pain he couldn't forget.

He was wondering when was the moment that time would stop going back to the moment, he was waking up by Papyrus screaming about the human falling in the Underground? It repeated at least 17,000 times, and the loop only had small variations, he was getting tired and in between that loop he knew by memory every line, every action, everything that would happen in the Underground.

He was even wondering if Asgore the All-Mighty would wild a power like that but then he thought "no" it was him and Flowey, at least the responsible of the loops was Flowey but he was trapped also with the memories of each previous one and he suspected the human was there too, but wasn't sure what extension the were. Probably the human could remember in form of dreams but wasn't sure.

The human was walking down the path, there were some monsters around but nothing to be bothered, much of the monsters that roamed those parts were hiding by Sans request. When the human reached the gates that Papyrus made to stop any intruder stop as if they couldn't pass from the gaps because they were heavyset or at least jump from the corners of the small bridge, it was a dull barricade.

Frisk was curious, they never saw something like that; there was a forest a big forest in the Underground, it gave them an idea how big that world below the surface was. Somebody was behind them, it was a powerful presence as powerful as the flower, they were feeling overwhelmed and then they saw the skeleton wearing a hoodie, shorts and pink Sandals, they were confused because someone who looked so goofy be so powerful, maybe they were tired after arguing with Toriel to let them go.

"Sup" Said Sans.

"Hey" Replied Frisk.

"I am Sans, Sans the Skeleton, who are you human?"

"I am Frisk, Frisk the human"

"What brings you here Frisk?"

"I fall and now I am trying to find a way out"

"Be careful Frisk, my brother is a member of the Royal Guard of Asgore, and if he sees a human he will take it directly to the King Asgore for execution" He lied a little bit, knowing that Papyrus need it a boost on his self-esteem, and also hoping this time Papyrus would by an act of destiny knows what a human looked like and maybe that could help him to go into the Royal Guard.

If the loop followed a similar pattern Papyrus would arrive in about 10 minutes asking for what scent of fabric softener he wanted, he would reply with "Spring Morning" which was the same scent he enjoyed for over 700 years, probably over a 1,000 years asking the same question, he was losing his sanity with the repetition of repetition and was wondering over and over what was the key to break up the cycle?

"Eeeey, just don't show too much love or gain to much EXP and you will be fine, oh no my brother is coming hide now behind that lamp that is conveniently located in the middle of us" Sais Sans to Frisk, within the same repetition of the cycle, he thought to have some fun every now and then at the expense of the human as he knew much of the steps they were going to take or what to do depending on the outcome of the ruins.

"Sans what are you doing here?" Papyrus asked.

"Eeey nothing, I came to see the ruins like I do every other day, just to see if humans appeared"

"Had you seen humans Sans?"

"Nooooo, I haven't seen any in over 700 years since the last and first one was responsible for the death of the young prince"

"OK keep your eyes on, we never know when they will come"

"Yeaaah lil bro"

"Sans before I forget, what fabric softener would you like for your socks?"

"Spring Morning, thanks lil bro"

Papyrus left dancing, as he was going back to Snowdin to buy some fabric softener and maybe to make spaghetti for lunch.

"I hope he doesn't make spaghetti but at this moment is the only thing I ate for a long time now, you can come out now, he is gone"

"Who was he?"

"Papyrus my younger brother, he is a menacing skeleton"

"He seems to be a Buffon"

"You are not far away from reality young human. I better get going, if you need more help follow the end of the road and you will reach Snowdin, don't change paths or you will get lost"

As soon Sans finished talking with Frisk, he faded in the blink of an eye; Frisk was wondering where he go, but they were curious about the forest as they weren't expecting to see something as lush and pretty inside a cave system but also to see snow… even with snow they weren't cold. As they reached a crosspoint there was a small box on the right side of the path and on the left next to them was a small blinking light, it was ethereal, they touched out of curiosity and they feel determination.

Determination to escape was flowing to their body, it was a sensation that couldn't be described properly and as soon the feeling ended, they went to see what was inside the box only to find it empty. They decided to put some of Toriel's food inside in case someone else wanted to eat or was hungry and then they kept walking, going to Snowdin and maybe buy some food in the town that Sans the Skeleton mentioned.

The forest was quite vast, as vast as the old City Ruins, it was almost as a parallel dimension where there was no sun but eternal darkness. As when they where approaching further in a weird creature jumped out of nowhere, it was strange like a big bird with a snowflake bone structure on their face, their beak was sharp and full of teeth that grind like a saw, Frisk was feeling fear, to Frisk worst fear the bullet box appeared, they were trapped but in the blink of an eye the strange creature jumped in and killed them in one strike.


	10. Chapter 10: His Lament

Chapter Ten

His Lament

Asgore was sitting watching the coffins of the 7 previous humans that fall in the Underground, he was sitting there alone because there was no coffin for his child. Instead his body got destroyed by his own greed to bring him back to life and a half-way through investigation led by his previous Royal Scientist Gaster and executed by his cheap replacement.

He was sitting there thinking about revenge on the surface tribe, he knew he only needed one human soul to break the barrier but he became greedy and lied to his people, he wanted more souls to achieve maximum power but instead he became scare of the memories of seeing his child, his children dying.

The days became eternal for the old king, everyone who left Toriel for him wasn't happy when he was near, he tried to create some traditions such as bringing present to the younger monsters, trying to visit schools, tiering to be there for his people but his lament was that he didn't had the motivation after losing everything, he just kept himself on his replica of the palace he had owned and he was alone with the illusion's he created.

Down below the palace there was the MTT Hotel, Metaton was checking on his assets around the Underground, being the sole owner of the television station gave him too much power, and that power was to serve his king but also to satisfy his cravings for fame and attention.

The operations were running smoothly, he was asking some of his cooks to deliver food to the king on the upper floors, but everyone didn't want to go and see Asgore as he was difficult to deal with. Mettaton opted to go to see the king himself. The upper levels of the hotel were a mere illusion of the old ruins, the only locations that were physical were the rooms with caskets, the old house and throne before going out to the barrier. Mettaton always wondered why the king didn't opened the barrier with only one heart, one heart is everything he need it to declare war on the tribe from the surface but instead the king was hiding in fear, he wasn't as powerful as he pretended, he was someone full of insecurities whose family breakdown shattered him into a 1,000 piece puzzle.

"Your majesty, where are you?" Mettaton asked into the void. Nobody answered. He kept walking slowly, going through the replica the king made of the old ruins, Metatton had to repeat to himself that it was a mere illusion, that the houses behind him were just an illusion and nothing else, that the only thing was real was the aisle and the rooms the king took on the rooftop that were just the exit of the Underground and where the barrier was placed.

"Your food is here, we brought you a burger" There was no answer, so he kept walking. As he reached the end before the faux throne room, he saw the king on the coffin's room, he was there sitting in silence holding the coffin of the first human. "Your majesty is been over 500 years since young Chara and the prince died, please let it go, there is a beautiful world here with your people" Metatton commented to the king while leaving his dinner next to him, he walked away in silence.

The tribe from the surface killed them, they discovered how to break the seal and it was with a human soul but that human soul at the end fused with a monster and created two new beings, one flower that was hunting everyone and one shade that refused to die. Asgore was contemplating death but not even with that he would find peace because monsters never ascended to heaven like humans, they just stay in hell.

"I should had told him a human fall into the Underground and is approaching this way", Metatton thought while waiting for the elevator to go down. "Maybe I can stop the human on my own"


End file.
